Gary Cherone

At 62 years old, Gary Cherone has this physical status:

Gary Francis Caine Cherone (s?ROHN; born July 26, 1961) is an American rock singer and songwriter.

Cherone is best known for his work as the Boston rock bandleader and his brief stint as the lead vocalist for Van Halen's short stint as the lead vocalist.

He has also released solo albums.

He reunited with Extreme in 2007.

Early life

Cherone grew up in Malden, Massachusetts, and attended Malden High School. He is the third of five brothers and Greg Cherone's younger fraternal twin.

Cherone began performing in local bands and was heavily influenced by the era's best rock frontmen, most notably Roger Daltrey of The Who, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and Queen's Freddie Mercury. Cherone and drummer friend Paul Geary, as well as guitarist Matt McKay, formed Adrenalin, a hard-rock band that performed locally in 1979. They renamed The Dream in 1981 and released a six-song independent vinyl EP.

Cherone and The Dream appeared in a music video produced by David Horgan on the early MTV program, Basement Tapes, in which the viewing audience "voted" (via a toll-free telephone number) for one of two competing amateur music videos submitted by unsigned artists. "Mutha, Don't Want to Go to School Today" was the winner of their competition, beating then-unknown Henry Lee Summer by just 1% of the total vote.

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Career

Cherone and Geary met guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and bassist Pat Badger in 1985 during an altercation over a dressing room, but the competitors soon became partners, and they began writing their own stuff right away. Extreme came from a play on the word "ex-Dream." The group had attracted a large regional audience by the late 1980s; in 1987, the band signed with A&M Records, which released their self-titled debut album in 1989. The band's debut album, which sold over 250,000 copies, justifies a second, and 1990, the band's critically acclaimed Extreme II: Pornograffiti, a blend of hard rock, funk, and pop propelled by Bettencourt's guitar playing, earned the band's second album. The album's lyrical content, mainly written by Cherone, was loosely based on the idea of a fictional young boy named "Francis" and his observations of a decadent, corrupt, and misogynistic society.

Although well-reced in the press, the album's initial sales and chart success were sluggish until A&M's 1991 released the acoustic ballad "More Than Words." The song was picked up by mainstream radio and became a big hit, peaking at No. 118. That summer, Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was ranked 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Extreme II: Pornograffiti was eventually awarded double platinum. Extreme Toure in 1991 also in support of David Lee Roth.

Cherone's career came full circle in April 1992 when he appeared "Hammer to Fall" onstage with the three remaining members of Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium. During the first half of the show, Extreme also performed a medley of Queen hits. Extreme's Next Door: A concept album that came later this year.

Extreme's 1995 film, Waiting for the Punchline, was a stripped-down affair that was only modestly profitable. Bettencourt became dissatisfied with the organization's work and decided against going solo. Extremes were officially folded shortly afterward.

Van Halen's second lead singer, Sammy Hagar, had been with the band since 1985. Van Halen was without a lead vocalist after a failed reunion bid with original lead vocalist David Lee Roth, who had been with Van Halen from 1974 to 1985. Cherone was called for an audition at the behest of Van Halen's boss, Ray Danniels (who also worked with Extreme), and she was called for an audition. Eddie Van Halen liked Cherone's music as well as his work ethic, and in November 1996 Cherone became Van Halen's third lead vocalist. Cherone took up residence in Eddie's guest house and spent the next year recording and recording a new studio album.

Van Halen III debuted at No. 1 on March 17, 1998. The Billboard 200 album chart has reached 47,000 copies in its first week, followed by 500,000 in the United States, and over 700,000 copies as of 2011. Van Halen's album featured a slew of songs, beginning with the straightforward arena rock that had once drew Van Halen's performed with Hagar and contrasting with the tongue-in-cheek bombast that attracted Van Halen fans to Roth. Van Halen III's songs were often longer and more lyrical than earlier Van Halen songs, lending it a contemporary edge. There was only one No. on the album. "Without You" was a hit on Billboard's Mainstream Rock.

By most bandwagon, the album would have been regarded as an unmitigated commercial success, but it was regarded as a flop by Van Halen's standards. Since Van Halen III was the first album in the band's career not to receive at least double platinum status, neither the album nor the support tour met financial goals. However, fans were raving about the tour. Fans of older Van Halen songs that had been on display since Roth's debut in 1984. This was mainly because Hagar refused to perform anything but the most popular of Roth-era songs. Van Halen went outside of North America in 1998, appearing in Japan, Europe, and New Zealand for the first time. On MTV, one date in Australia was filmed and broadcast.

Plans for a sequel to Love Again, which is rumored to be released at the end of 1999, are now underway. Van Halen's last album was revealed just a year after the previous one had not been released by the band in 1982. According to reports, Van Halen's then-record company Warner Bros. canceled the album twice because they didn't know a "hit" pop single on it. Cherone was left amicably by the record label's denials. Since then, he has been on good terms with his ex bandmates, appearing on television many times to express his doubts over why the partnership failed to function.

Cherone wrote about his time in the band years ago, "I was one of the three singers in the mighty Van Halen." "You can't take it away from me."

Cherone returned to Boston and unveiled a new venture, Tribe of Judah, following his release from Van Halen. The band appeared at several shows in the Boston area and recently released Exit Elvis, a Spitfire Records track.

On occasion, he has appeared with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony during their The Other Half performances, Nuno Bettencourt's latest ventures, as well as the Boston Rock Opera.

During a memorial service for the victims, Gary and his brother Markus performed "More Than Words" in February 2003, just one week after the Station nightclub fire. On WHJY in Providence, Rhode Island, the memorial was shown live.

Cherone released Need I Say More, a four-song sampler CD that was written and produced by Steve Catizone and Leo Mellace in 2005. This album was produced by Jeff Yurek of Sanctum Sound in Boston, Massachusetts, and edited by Carl Nappa in New York City. Dave DiCenso (drums), Baron Browne (bass), and Steve Hunt (keyboards) are also on the tour.

Cherone appeared in three shows as part of Amazing Journey, an honor to ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, which featured Paul Gilbert on guitar and Billy Sheehan on bass. Gary and his brother Markus Cherone created their own tribute to The Who, Slip Kid, just a few years later. The band continues to appear regularly in the Greater Boston area.

Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year. Cherone's three-year service with the company did not identify him as a band member eligible for induction. However, Michael Anthony, the group's former bassist, thanked Cherone for his contributions at the televised induction ceremony.

Extreme has reunited with Cherone on several occasions for "one-off" shows in their hometown and New England, but they also announced plans to perform another world tour with a new album in November 2007.

In August 2008, the album Saudades de Rock was released.

Pornograffitti Live 25: Metal Meltdown, an audio/video presentation of the band's 2015 concert at Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, was released in 2016.

Cherone has appeared on SlipKid, a tribute to The Who. Paul Mangone, Cherone's former Extreme bandmate, is the bassist, and Markus Cherone, his brother, Markus Cherone, is the guitarist.

Cherone formed a new band with his brother Markus on guitar, Joe Pessia on bass/mandolin, and Dana Spellman on drums. They debuted a self-titled debut album in early 2011 and have toured to promote it.

"Retro Grenade," the band's sequel to their debut album, was released in 2014.

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